VIRTUAL CIRCLE FAQ

What do we do at a virtual circle?

Journal: While we wait for folks to trickle in, we journal about worries from the day or things that we want to let go of for the next season or cycle.
Facilitator introduction: I give a short intro about myself and talk about the equinox, solstice, or new moon that we are ringing in.
Participant introductions: We give a short introduction of ourselves, saying our name, where we are joining from and what our intention is for the month. If we don’t know or have an intention, we can share our state of mind (how we are doing) in one sentence. If someone doesn’t feel like sharing, they can pass. It is very acceptable to pass! I want the least amount of pressure in an environment that is supposed to be relaxing for us!
Pick an oracle card: Oracle cards are a tool that can be used for introspection or can be seen as messages from the Divine. Compared to tarot cards, oracle cards can show any imagery, and there's more room for the person working with them to interpret their meaning.
Guided Meditation: If your videos are on, I invite you to turn them off for the guided meditation. You can sit or lay. At this time, I say or read a meditation while music plays in the background. The first part of the meditation usually includes a focus on relaxing our bodies and then a silent time where we can tune into our bodies. The second part of the meditation usually includes a nature visualization and then a second silent time. The second silent time is when we can tune into our inner knowing and/or divine connections (see below for description on inner knowing and divine connections). The guided meditation, including the silent times, is about 30 minutes altogether.
Closing: When the meditation is over, you can turn on your videos or leave them off. Sometimes a few people share what they experienced. You can use this ending time to write in your journal what you experienced or felt.

What is an intention/intention-setting?

An intention is an aim or plan but it doesn’t have to be specific or measurable or in the future like a goal. It can be more about how you want to be or show up in the world.

Examples of intentions:

I want to be seen and speak my mind more this month.
I want to be present and not in my head so much.
I want to listen to my body.
I want to trust my intuition more.

That being said, there is definitely a gray area between goals and intentions and we set goals at moon circles as well.

Examples of goals:

I want to reach out and connect with friends more this month.
I want to spend more time playing with my kids.
I want to read more.
I want to meditate/pray more this month.

What is inner knowing?

Inner knowing refers to the ability to know something without analytic reasoning, bridging the gap between the conscious and non-conscious parts of our mind. I use this term as a way to create a space where people from varied religious and spiritual backgrounds, as well as atheists, can come together in community so try to keep language neutral for inclusiveness.

What do you mean by divine connections?

Divine connections can refer to: God, Allah, the Great Mystery, Source, Love, the Universe, Jesus, the Holy Spirit, Saints, gods/goddesses, ancestors, guides, or our higher selves, etc.

What do you mean tune into our inner knowing or divine connections?

People receive messages in different ways. You could hear words in your mind. You could see images in your mind’s eye. You could feel something. You could also come to some sort of realization or knowing without hearing or seeing anything in your mind. Some people may not feel like they receive any messages and that’s okay! Sometimes emotions that haven’t gotten a chance to be felt in our busy lives come up and roll through. We may spend some time with our inner child and visualize comforting or tending to them in some way. We can also use this time to meditate on our breath or the images from the meditation. It may just be a peaceful time to relax and that’s really important too!

How do I tell the difference between my mind and an inspired message?

Inspired messages are quick. We normally don’t ruminate on them. When we hear/see/or feel them, it “rings true,” like, “Oh, that is just what I needed to hear!” Or, “Wow, I hadn’t thought of that but that really makes sense.” Or just it just feels like a “Yes!” in our body. We may still doubt what we hear in the beginning and that’s okay. Listening is a practice.